21 April 2013

There are few things in this world I need as much as I need my arms and legs. Air… of course. Butter…we have an understanding. Sunshine…on a warm Spring day. A good book…and time to read it. An excellent glass of wine…and a friend to share it with. And my KitchenAid stand mixer. If you have one too, you know exactly what I’m talking about. How else will I achieve my goal of becoming a domestic goddess, Nigella and I joined at the hip, shoulder to shoulder creating masterpieces in the kitchen. You get the picture!

Last fall as I was travelling through Southern Italy I was sitting at a trattoria using their Wifi to connect with home and lazily watching the world go by. I received an e-mail from Paula of Dragon's Kitchen letting me know I had won a shiny brand new KitchenAid stand mixer in the colour of my choice.__________________________________________

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day.

When the sun is out and the wind is still,

You're one month on in the middle of May.

But if you so much as dare to speak,

a cloud come over the sunlit arch,

And wind comes off a frozen peak,

And you're two months back in the middle of March."

- Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926

___________________________________________

In my kitchen, life as I have known it ceased to exist. My stand mixer became my tool of choice doing at least half the work all the time. It is not just another kitchen appliance. I rely upon it for all manner of kitchen miracles. Life is so much simpler cooking and baking in my home kitchen with my KitchenAid by my side. No more painstaking hand whisking or tired arms from holding my hand held mixer. Let's face it, whipping eggs into submission for 15 minutes would not be possible without it for this genoise cake. It is a measure of endurance that this mixer can carry on at high speed for 15 minutes with not so much as a whimper. I love whipping cream, kneading dough, and all the accessories. My mom and dad even gave me a pasta maker attachment for Christmas so you know there is pasta in my future.

A genoise is an Italian sponge cake named after the town of Genoa. It is similar to its cousin Angel Food Cake but uses whole eggs instead of just the whites. It is made with 4 simple ingredients...eggs, sugar, flour and oil or butter which makes it a super simple dessert to be whipped up at a moments notice. The idea for the cake comes from Better Homes and Gardens and is perfection itself. You can add a little vanilla, lemon or orange zest to the batter for added dimension, top it with this unctuous strawberry ice wine sauce I often make for special occasions or whatever you find in season.

What better way to celebrate a break on a sunny, warm Spring afternoon than with a slice of this tender cake and a pot of tea to share with a friend.

**Genoise with Strawberry Ice Wine Sauce**

6 eggs

Granulated sugar

Cake flour or all-purpose flour

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light-tasting or pure olive oil

1 1/3 cups cake flour or 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Strawberry Ice Wine Sauce (recipe below)

Powdered sugar

Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and side of a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; grease paper. Sprinkle bottom and side of pan with granulated sugar; sprinkle with flour. Set pan aside.

In an extra-large bowl combine eggs and the 3/4 cup granulated sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed for 15 minutes. With mixer running, gradually add oil in a thin, steady stream (this should take about 2 minutes). Immediately turn off mixer after all oil has been added. Sift the 1-1/3 cups cake flour over egg mixture; fold in gently.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Place springform pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Stir 1/4 cup wine with sugar and 4 cups strawberries in a medium saucepan. Season with pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until sauce reduces to a light syrup and fruit is very soft, about 25 min. If desired blend sauce with an immersion blender for a smooth sauce. To sauce add reserved 1 cup strawberries and remaining 1/4 cup wine. Mix gently. Serve at room temperature. Garnish with more pepper if desired. Alternatively cover and chill for up to 24 hours.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

You lucky duck. A brand new stand mixer. I would have loved to see a picture of it! I love mine. I can't believe that I didn't even own a hand mixer a few short years ago. Everything was by hand. Now I have this wonderful KitchenAid stand mixer. Changed my life, too.

What a wonderful thing to win, you're speaking my language! My husband bought me my first Kitchen Aid 30 years ago, he said I would pass it on to my children and their children, ha! I went through two and when he went to get the third one repaired the man said "I've never seen this before, the gears look like jelly!" Now that's not to say Kitchen Aid mixers are not sturdy and built for life, I'm just a crazy cook! Now my husband says, if I wear out another one, he will buy me a Hobart like they have in the big restaurants :) Your cake looks FABULOUS!!!

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My blog More Than Burnt Toast has been my passion for almost 12 years and has evolved with me over time as I have gained confidence in the kitchen. Follow my travels through Italy and Greece one recipe at a time, upcoming cooking classes at local Okanagan wineries and restaurants, as well as daily experimentation in my own kitchen. Every day we should be excited about what we are eating even if it just means making use of a wonderful find at our local farmers market. I look forward to getting to know you.